LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

DDDD3t,T7E41i 














• ^' 








•lo^ 





o • » ' .0 






A o. 




/ 



-^..d^ 



In Oe (Soobc ®\bc 
Colony Da^es 



m 



mvin proDasco IRipgen 




r> 



Colonic Badges 



m 
aivln probasco Wtpgen 



^,0VV1M(3^,''M;K 




3 2.51' 3%^ 



^bc fjnlcl?ert>ochcr press 

G. P. Putnam's sons 

IS94 






Copyright, 1894 

BY 

ALVIN PROBASCO NIPGEN 



Printed and Bound by 

Ubc •Rnicfecrbochcr press, IWew ^ov\i 
G. P. Putnam's Sons 



TO 
THE DESCENDANTS 

OF god's true noble-men 

THE daughters 
OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 



AUTHOR'S NOTE. 



The author makes grateful acknowledgments to 
Vogue for permission to republish *' Reverie of the 
Moon"; to the Yale Literary Magazine^ Courajit, 
and Record, in which the remainder have appeared ; 
to the artists of the Yale Record, and to the pub- 
lisher of Yale Wit and Humor for the illustrations 
in these pages. 

A. P. N. 

Yale University. 



CONTENTS. 



Under the Old Regime 

Lent 

In Ye Goode Olde Colony Dayes 

In Braver Days . 

Reverie of the Moon 

'T was Ever Thus 

In the Reign of Queen Fay 

Reverie of the Family Arms 

In the Twinkling of an Eye 

Ye Sturdye Dutch — In Old New 

sterdam 
As IN Ye Oldene Dayes 
Reverie of Mars 



Am- 



9 
II 

13 
15 
17 
22 
24 
26 
36 

38 
40 
42 




mn^cv tbe (S)l^ 



" Dear Maid, with patch and puff, 
With waist so short, yet long enough 

To make man most forget, 
Pray dance with me, for by thy side 
I promise thee my feet with pride. 
As hghtly as my heart will glide — 

Wilt trip the Minuet ? " 
9 



"dnDer tbe ©ID IRccjimc 



" Kind Sir, thy grace of word has vied 
Thy grace of step ; yet must I chide, 

Thy flattery I regret ! 
But, since the dancing woman flies. 
My love for it I '11 not disguise ; 
But while I may, the time I *11 prize — 

We '11 trip the Minuet ! " 



Wooingly the music sighs. 

He looks into her wondrous eyes, 

'T is but a glance, and yet ! — 
Within our old ancestral hall. 
Their pictures hang upon the wall. 
And when dark silence reigns o'er all, 

They trip the Minuet ! 




Xent. 



My Angela is most demure, 
A saint I think she could 
allure. 

Or any one. 
She does deny for forty 

days 
All innocent but joyous 

ways. 
In modest gown in church 
she prays, 

The little nun. 
II 



Xcnt. 

That is not all, the maid devout, 
Has gone too far, so I make out 

My censure wins ! 
She 's not alone denied herself, 
For forty days, the little elf, 
I get no kisses, such my pelf, 

Those little sins ! 



She says, " That during Lent they're wrong 
That forty days is not so long ; " 

The little Grundy ! 
Yet from her cheeks so taunting bland. 
To steal a kiss I have n't sand ; 
Perhaps she '11 let me hold her hand 

Upon Palm Sunday ! 




Hn 

Colony Dapes* 



" Dear Maid, with ' kirtle and kerchief ' white, 
Our country needs me, so ' t is right 

I go, and share her fate. 
Weep not ; to hearts both true and brave 
To fill a noble patriot's grave 
Is sweeter than to live a slave. 

One pledge, e'er 't is too late ! " 

13 



14 Hn ^c ©ooOe ®lDe Colony 2)a^es. 

" Brave Lad, think not I weep from fear 
To lose my all in life, were dear 

If 't would my Country free ! 
My hands shall also find their role : 
If prayer some dying soldier's soul 
Can guide unto the heavenly goal. 

May God grant Liberty ! " 



When war was o'er the twain were wed ; 
A quiet honest life they led, 

Devoid of pomp and fame ! — 
Let others vaunt their crests ; I wot 
Their Sires tho' crowned kings, were not 
More noble than my patriot 

And his colonial dame ! 




irn 
Bra\>er 



" Kind Sirs, I 've drunk to each man's toast, 
And glad 's my heart, that all can boast 

Of maids so dear and rare ! 
I love a lass, whose modest grace. 
Whose queenly form and lovely face 
Defy the limner's brush to trace ! 

Here 's to the maid most fair ! " 
15 



1fn JBraver 5)aB0. 



" Nay, nay, I shall not drink to her. 
Whoe'er she be ; because, brave Sir, 

Her beauty can't surpass. 
The charms of one I love ! I deem 
Thine may be fair, but Poets dream 
Of such as mine — a noble theme ! 

I 'd die, Sir, for my lass ! " 



At dawn to the appointed place. 
Each came, to prove his lady's grace 

Or die ; — such honor's duty ! 
Their weapons drawn ; a moment's wait ; 
They put them back — e'er 't was too late — 
Since both in their appeals to Fate, 

Swore by my Grand-dame's beauty ! 




IReverie of tbe 
/iDoom 

A little before 
the Revolution, 
during the sea- 
son when they 
call me the '' Harvest Moon," I 
was watching an old mammy tell 
her children of the good days to 
come. She was sitting before the 
door of her log cabin on the banks 
of the old Ohio, with her little pic- 
kaninnies all around her. They 
were listening to her tale with wide- 
open eyes and mouth. Their mas- 
17 



i8 IReveric of tbc /Hboon. 

ter, Marse Whitehill, was cruel, 
and when the old mammy told them 
that Con'l Tobin had promised to 
buy them '' as soon as his ship 
comes in," and that he would be a 
kind master, little Tom asked about 
that ship. 

" Oh, dat ship, chile, am laden 
wid sparklin' jewels, diamonds and 
pearls, an' wid gold and silber ! 
Ya-as, it will come floatin' up dis 
here Ohio, de Lawd knows when, 
but it's comin', for Con'l Tobin sed 
so." With that the group betook 
themselves into the cabin, all to 
dream of the ship to come, and of 
serving good Con'l Tobin. 

I rose a little higher then, and 



IReverie of tbe /Ilboon. 



19 



was just about to peep into the open 
door, when I saw little black Tom 
stealthily creep- 
ing along to the 
bank of the river. 
He looked up and 
down and then 
quickly 
^^s e at ed 
'^^^^^ himself. 
He was watching for Con'l Tobin's 
ship to come in laden with jewels 
and precious metals, nor did he give 
me even so much as a passing 
glance, so intent was his watch. 
After a little I saw him joyfully 
jump up, then he kneeled down as 
if in prayer, his lips seeming to say : 




IRcvcrie ot tbe /iRoon. 



'' Good Lawd, 'deed I lubs you ! 
Der comes Con'l Tobln's ship all 
sparklin' wid diamonds and gold ! 
Good Lawd, let me get it in for 
him, den he will buy me from 
Marse Whitehill." 

Of course I knew he mistook 
my image in the Ohio for his ship, 
and in fact it did look, as it floated 
over the rippling waters, like a 
golden fairy boat. Higher and 
higher I rose, each minute bringing 
my reflection nearer and nearer the 
little black slave waiting on the 
banks to catch the treasure ship. 

At last the image was brought 
directly under him and he leaned 
over the high bank to grasp it. 



IRcverie ot tbe /llboon. 21 

Further he reached — still further 
— his hand was almost touching- the 
water — almost grasping the golden 
ship. I pitied the poor little fel- 
low when I thought of his disap- 
pointment in finding that his ship 
was only an image. 

But suddenly I saw the bank 
beneath him giving way ! Once 
more the little slave grasped for 
the ship ! It was his final effort, 
and without a cry he sank forever 
beneath the waves of the Ohio ! 

He had found his new master. 




"G:\va5 lEver ITbus. 



In ancient days, my Maiden dear, 
From sage and scholar do we hear, 

Lived shrewd Penelope. 
She wove her web, in woman's loft, 
There tied the knots e'en silken soft. 
But when fair Luna shone, so oft 

Unloosed the knot did she. 
22 



'vTwas Bver ^bus. 23 

Thus she delayed the two-score men, 
Till her true lover came again, 

And slew the suitors bold ! 
Nor grieved she when Ulysses bent 
His bow ; and then with ill intent 
Through all their hearts an arrow sent, 

As he had shot of old ! 



A web of charms thou 'st wov'n, dear Maid, 
And in it I have long delayed, 

Till now I am not free ! 
Unloose the knots, take out the dart, 
With which young Cupid shot my heart. 
Nay, nay, but say, " We ne'er shall part, 

I '11 love and live with thee." 







I 



ftiifriDefl[ 



iia 



Hn tbe IReign of 



A Fairy Queen sat all 

alone, 
Upon a violet, her 
throne, 

Her heart pined 
for a King ! 
She waved her wand ; 

a Fairy Knight 
Appeared ; a Poet, and 

a Sprite, 
Each thinking that his 
own true might 
The Kingly Crown 
would bring ! 

24 



irn tbe IReiGu ot (Slueen 3fas. 25 

First Warrior with Sir Poet tried ; 
His wondrous deeds of arms outvied, 

The fleetness of a glance ! 
A humming-bird of its own will 
Gave Poet a plume, his rhymes did thrill 
The wee Queen's heart, she cried, " The Quill 

Is mightier than the Lance ! " 



Then Poet challenged Sir Sprite ; 
His songs of praise filled with delight. 

The queenly fairy's breast ! 
The Sprite a single sparkling dart 
Shot from his bow ; it pierced her heart 
"Sir Warrior, Poet, speed, depart. 

For Love is mightiest y 




IRevcrie ot tbe 
Ifainili^ Hrms. 

You \v ou 1 d 
hardly imagine, 
that an old worn- 
out looking coat- 
of-mail like myself could enjoy so 
quiet a life as I have had for the 
past few years in this Beacon Street 
mansion. Of course, my shield gets 
heavy sometimes, and I think that 
I can't stand it any longer, but 
when I 'm dusted by the daintiest 
little house-maid, I think I am a 
young gallant of the modern day. 
26 



TReverie ot tbe S'amil^ Brms. 27 

Still, I often do get tired of hear- 
ing Mr. N. E. W. Ryche and his 
family tell how '' that coat-of-mall 
was worn by their great, great grand- 
father, who came over in the May- 
flower, and was an intimate friend 
of Miles Standish." I know as well 
as Ryche that I am the production 
of modern art and artificiality. 

Why, I remember the day well — 
it was only five years ago — that, 
after the armorer had completed me, 
a young student from Harvard, a 
needy youth named Claudius Cicero 
Grindhard, said, '' That 's the best 
imitation of an old coat-of-mail 
you've made yet," and taking out 
his notebook he continued, '' This 



28 IReperie ot tbc ffamil^ Brms. 

is the best-sounding motto I Ve 
made up, ' Jtistiis et Honor Pro- 
positi,' Put that on his shield." 
That 's how old I am ! ! ! As for old 
Mr. Ryche's pedigree, he found his 
wife in a dry-goods store out West 
somewhere. Well, they married and 
he made a fortune out of '* Swim- 
ming Soap," but, as they were 
not received in society there, they 
determined to come East, and '' get 
Jack (their son) In Harvard College, 
if money could do it." 

Now, their daughter Pearl Is in 
society, and that daughter, named 
after one of their soaps, was married 
last Wednesday evening, just five 
years to the day from my Chris- 



IRevcrie of tbe jFamils 2lrm6. 29 

tening. The whole affair cost a 
fortune, and ''they say" that it 
was the most gorgeous wedding 
ever witnessed in Boston. That is 
what he intended it to be. 

It took place in this room to my 
right, and all of the '' Hub's smart 
set" were present. As I could n't 
be there I had to be content 
with hearing, as well as I could, 
the Bishop's voice and the soft 
music. Presently I recognized her 
father's coarse voice. "Well, Pearl, 
I 've founded a new Latin Pro- 
fessor's chair in Harvard, and your 
husband is to fill It. But now let 's 
all go out in the hall and have the 
bridal picture taken." 



30 IReverie of tbe ffamil^ Brms. 

By this, I knew that the cere- 
mony was over, and thought I 'd 
now get a peep at dear Pearl's 
husband. But, of course, every 
one had to congratulate the young 
Professor and his bride, so that it 
seemed an age before they finally 
came out here for the picture. 
I was not in the best of humor 
anyway, for I did n't want her to 
leave the home, but when somebody 
turned down the lights just before 
the couple came out I could hardly 
contain myself ! At last I did see 
him, for just as the flash went off, 
he started and stared intently at 
my shield. Of course the light 
did not last long enough to give 



TReverte ot tbe ifamilg Brms. 31 

me a good opportunity to scrutinize 
his features, but what I saw of his 
lean face, with sandy beard, sharp 
nose, and thick glasses, set me 
against him. 

The picture over, they rushed up 
stairs, and when Pearl reached the 
landing, with one of the most 
angelic smiles mortal ever saw, she 
tossed down the Bride's bouquet. 
Then what a scrimmage there was 
to get it ! A long-armed spinster 
got it, after having her gown torn 
in the wild grab ; but still she had 
the satisfaction of being envied 
by the younger girls, and consoled 
herself with the hope that perhaps 
she would be the next one wed. 



32 IRcveric of tbc afamil^ Brms. 

At this instant a rustling was 
heard up stairs, and all forgot the 
bouquet and torn dresses— except 
the old maid— thinking only of the 
Professor and his fair wife. Then 
I had another chance to see him as 
they came quickly down the stairs. 
Again I dreaded to think of Pearl's 
living with that man all the rest of 
her life, and as for loving him, I 
did n't see how such a thing was 
possible ! He seemed to me one 
of those individuals who is ever 
looking to their own happiness, 
utterly ignoring and unappreciative 
of the sacrifices of others. She, on 
the other hand, was of a disposition 
as beautiful and as noble as the 



IRcvcrie of tbc jfamilg Brms. 33 

fabled Ruth ! Of course, I realized 
that their married life would be 
peaceful, that he would be con- 
tented and happy, but as for his 
bride I could only see a sacrificed 
life. Then, for the first time, I 
thought that her name seemed to 
foretell her life — for it appeared to 
me in all its bitter reality, that this 
Pearl was surely being cast away. 

All the time they lingered in the 
hall — it seemed an age to me — 
that young Latin Professors eye 
was fixed on my shield, as if he 
was afraid of my striking him with 
my '' two edger." At first I 
thought he was eying me, because 
he was so proud to marry into a 



34 tRevctic ot tbe jfamil^ Brms. 

family '* whose ancestors had 
fought in the Revolution," and who 
had such distinguished family arms 
and motto ; but then the thought 
came to me again that he was a 
coward, and I hated with all my 
heart to think of such a man gain- 
ing such a bride. 

But as they started to go to the 
waiting carriage, he made me 
believe that he was a young foeman 
worthy of my steel ! For amid a 
storm of rice and old shoes, he 
strode up to me, grasped my 
gauntlet, shook it violently, and 
whispered into my helmet, ''Well, 
old boy, don't you know me ? 
' Justus ct Honoi' Propositi ? ' " 



IReverie of tbe dfamil^ Brms. 35 

Then I shook his hand heartily 
and wished the Professor and Miss 
Pearl ** God-speed," for I knew 
she had a good husband in my old 
friend, Claudius Cicero Grindhard ! 



^^^^' 




1Fn tbe Uwinf^linc} ot an ]£^e/' 

" Fair Nanna, thou art doubly blest, 
By Heaven, with all its virtues best, 

And blessed in my heart ! 
Thine eyes are not like stars in skies. 
For Heaven itself is in thine eyes. 
That flood my heart with smiles or sighs, 

Such is thy magic art ! 
36 



irn tbe twinkling of an JEge." 



Thy form and features are most rare, 
Thy bearing saintly ; past compare ; 

A nun thou seem'st to me ! " 
"While thus I plead, a modest blush 
Quick veiled her cheeks, she cried, " Hush, hush ! 
Thou sin'st ; — thy love thou should'st have crushed ; 

I '11 ne'er again see thee ! " 

" Nay, Nanna, thou 'rt too severe, 
The Sermon on the Mount, I fear. 

Thou hast forgot, enraged ! 
' Judge not ' ! Thou said'st I sinned. Do'st see ? 
' Cast from thine eye the beam ' ! List thee ! 
Pray cast thine eyes' bright beam on me ! " 

She beamed, — we are engaged ! 



13e SturD^ie Butcb Hn ©lt)e 
IRew HmsterDam. 




^v3<> 



" Dear Maiden, since thou 

wilt not heed 
My soul's entreaty, I must 
speed 

To lands afar from 
this ! 
I cannot stay to see thee 

wed 
A stranger, though to title 

bred ; 
I go, but for love cold and 
dead 

Pray give one parting 
kiss ! " 

38 



I 



^c SturD^c Butcb. 39 

" Dear Lad, entreat me not, for Fate 
Has so decreed ! 'T is now too late 

To change, what might have been ! 
Nor call me false, — 't is too severe, 
I am but weak. Let this thought cheer 
Thy future life, ' Thou wert most dear.' 

May God forgive my sin ! " 



All night within the placid bay, 
The sturdy ship at anchor lay ; 

Soon would its sails be set. 
At dawn, as by some strange command, 
A lone man wandering on the strand, 
Sought passage to a foreign land ; — 

My Grand-dame's baronet ! 



Hs in 15e ©l^ene Ba^es* 




Dear Maid, could I but 

write such rhymes, 
As gallant knights of ancient 
times, 
\ Wrote ladies fine, 

*) I'd pen a verse of such rare 
art 
'T would gain admittance 

to thy heart, 
And entering there would 
ne'er depart, 

Till it were mine ! 
40 



2l6 in ^c ©IDene 2>ai2cs. 41 

By Venus, those old lovers swore, 
Her gracious aid did they implore. 

In many a line ; 
But lest her shrine should be defiled, 
Around her altars, that dear child, 
God Cupid, all the knights' hearts piled, 

To her divine ! 



Dear Maid, I 'd humbly worship thee, 
Would wait thy will, on bended knee, 

Before thy shrine ! 
And on thine altar I would place 
My heart ; but lest my hands efface 
Its purity, I '11 send his Grace, — 

Saint Valentine ! 




IReverte ot 
/iDars. 

One night, 
shortly after 
we had fin- 
ished our rehearsal of the '' Music 
of the Spheres," I heard an old 
bell ringing out wildly, '' War ! 
War ! War ! " As it happened, 
Venus and I had been complaining 
only a little earlier of the degenera- 
tion of modern mankind, because 
there were no such lovers as Dido, 
or warriors brave as Agamemnon ; 
42 



IReveric ot /IRars. 43 

so when we heard those fierce 
notes of w^ar, we both admitted 
ourselves in the wrong, Venus by 
blushing as lovely as of yore when 
passionate Paris gave her the 
golden Apple of Discord. 

In that quaint old college town 
of New England, the chapel bell 

had sum- 




where the Rev. Napthali Daggett 
was telling them that their country 
needed true Christian men to fight 
for her liberty ; that they should 



44 TReverie of /IRars. 

all go to the war ; and that they 
should be brave soldiers and fear 
naught but God's wrath. 

Then General Washington spoke 
briefly but earnestly : " Men of 
Yale, our army needs a battalion of 
men upon whom we can rely under 
any and all disasters. I have care- 
fully considered where such an one 
might best be organized, and have 
decided that It should be at that 
institution which gave to America 
her noblest hero — Nathan Hale ! 
I am here to organize the Yale 
Battalion, and I pray God that 
you may be as true and as brave 
as he who was recently among you, 
and whose only regret was that he 



IRevcrie of /iBars. 45 

had but one life to lose for his 
Country." 

All the while Washington spoke, 
I had been watching a young fellow 
of noble bearing, whose very soul 
seemed to have been moved by the 
stirring words. Presently they read 
the roll-call, and when '' Henry 
Ingersoll Bishop " was called out, 
this lad, with all the fervor of his 
being, responded, " Here." 

Soon Washington cried, '' Four 
abreast, forward, march ! " and the 
little battalion slowly and silently 
wound along the beautiful Sylva- 
carmen Road. Again the old bell 
rang out, but, this time, its tones 
were of tenderness, for it was wish- 



46 IReverie ot /Hbars. 

ing the young battalion its '' God- 
speed." And then, with the Rec- 
tor's godly words, and the patriotic 
advice of Washington fresh in their 
hearts, as they heard the old bell 
ring out, they shouted as with one 
voice their paean, '* For God, for 
Country, and for Yale." 

In the battle of White Plains the 
Yale Battalion was called upon, 
where they fought bravely and 
valiantly. Young Bishop was in 
the fore, fighting furiously ; so 
heedlessly that when Washington 
gave the word for retreat he was 
not aware of the absence of his 
friends. In an instant he was sur- 
rounded by the British, nevertheless. 



IReverie of /llbars. 



47 



undaunted, with his glittering sword 
he fought a Battle Royal ! 

Then I saw a Red Coat stealthily 
stealing up behind him. A sword 
flashed ! With a mighty effort, 
young Bishop rose to his full manly 
height with a smile, as one in- 
spired, he cried " Here," and fell. 

It was his final Roll Call ! 



I 

















«^^ , o . « , ^<^ 






ni»)7 8 










V 









0' 



'i-. 



'^yJr^ 



